The Washington Nationals (68-86) travel to face off against the Chicago Cubs (79-75) on Saturday, September 21st. This game will be played at Wrigley Field in Chicago and televised on MASN. The Cubs are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Nationals are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Cubs. First pitch is set for 1:20 CT.
Nationals vs. Cubs Betting Prediction
- Money Line Prediction: Cubs (-141)
- Over/Under Prediction: Over 8.5 Runs
- The Cubs have won 4 of their last 5 home games.
- The Cubs have outscored the Nationals 29-10 in their last 4 head-to-head games.
- The Cubs have scored 6 or more runs in 7 of their last 10 games.
- The Cubs have a winning streak of 2 games, while the Nationals are on a 5-game losing streak.
- The Cubs have a home record of 41-35, while the Nationals have an away record of 32-47.
Nationals vs Cubs
Chicago picked up a 3-1 win over the Nationals in the most recent game of this series. The Cubs had a huge 7th inning, scoring all three of their runs. As for the Nationals, they scored their only run in the 8th. Heading into the game, the Cubs were favored at -165 on the money line.
Jameson Taillon pitched well for the Cubs in this one, going six innings and striking out four without giving up a run. He picked up a win in the game, while Porter Hodge got the save. Trevor Williams had a rough outing for the Nationals, taking the loss.
Dansby Swanson hit the game’s only home run while going 1/4 with two RBIs. Christian Bethancourt also had a two-hit game for the Cubs.
Washington’s overall series record is 19-24-6, and they are 4-6 in their last 10 games. They are currently on a five-game losing streak and are 68-86 overall, placing them 4th in the NL East, 24 games behind the Phillies.
Against the run line, the Nationals have a solid 85-69 record, including 72-54 as underdogs. Their average run margin is -0.7 runs per game, and their games have averaged 8.9 runs this season. The over/under record for their games is 73-75, with the average total line being 9 runs.
MacKenzie Gore Gets The Start For The Nationals
Left-hander MacKenzie Gore gets the start for the Nationals today as he faces the Cubs on the road. He has made 30 starts this season and comes in with a record of 9-12 and an ERA of 4.17. Gore’s WHIP for the season is 1.49. In his 30 appearances, he has turned in nine quality starts. Looking back at his most recent outing, Gore picked up the win vs. the Marlins, going six innings and giving up just one earned run. Before that, he had allowed at least two earned runs in three straight outings.
Nationals Offense Breakdown
Washington’s offense has been one of the worst in the league this season, as they are 23rd in runs per game at 4.1. They have also struggled in the power department, as their 129 home runs are 26th in the league. As a team, the Nationals are batting .242, which is 11th in the league.
CJ Abrams and Luis Garcia Jr. have been the team’s most productive hitters this season, as they are the team’s top two home run hitters and are also tied for the team lead in RBIs. Abrams has also been hot of late, going 10/21 in his last six games, including one home run.
Chicago’s overall run line record is 75-79, and they have a run line win streak of one game when favored. The Cubs are 41-35 at home and 38-40 on the road this season. As the favorite, they have a 42-37 record.
Currently, the Cubs are nine games behind the Brewers in the NL Central with a 79-75 record. They have won two straight games and are 5-5 in their last 10. This season, 29.2% of their games have had higher over/under lines than today’s 8.5 runs, and their overall O/U record is 73-76.
Kyle Hendricks Gets The Start For The Cubs
Kyle Hendricks gets the start for the Cubs today and comes in with a record of 4-11 and an ERA of 6.25. Out of his 22 starts, he has turned in just four quality starts. Hendricks’ ERA for the season at home is 5.59, and he has a record of 1-6 at Wrigley Field. In his last outing, he picked up the win, going six innings and giving up one earned run on seven hits. Before that, he had given up at least two earned runs in five straight outings. Hendricks has been hurt by the long ball this year, giving up 21 homers.
Cubs Offense Breakdown
After a slow start to the season, Nico Hoerner has been on fire of late, going 11/21 in his last six games. For the season, he is batting .271 and has an on-base percentage of .336. Hoerner is 4th on the team with five homers. Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki are the Cubs’ top power threats, with Happ leading the team with 25 homers and Suzuki right behind him at 21. Happ also leads the team with 85 RBIs.
Chicago’s offense is averaging 4.6 runs per game and has been even better on the road, where they are 4th in the league at 5.1 runs per contest. As a team, the Cubs are batting .243, which is 10th in the league, and are 5th in on-base percentage. Currently, Dansby Swanson is on a three-game hitting streak and has gone 9/27 in his last six games.
Nationals vs Cubs Prediction
Our prediction for this Nationals vs. Cubs matchup is to take the Cubs on the money line at -141. We have the Cubs winning this one by a final score of 5-4. Looking at the starting pitchers, our projections have MacKenzie Gore finishing with six strikeouts, which is fourth-best among starters today.
As for Kyle Hendricks, we have him finishing with four strikeouts, which is towards the bottom of today’s starters. However, our projections have Hendricks finishing with a better line than Gore, and we have him going 6.2 innings compared to Gore’s 5.1.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:September 21, 2024 Cubs, Nationals